Nordic model – a template for autonomous driving

“Autonomous driving has the potential to revolutionise car safety. This technology saves lives. AD also improves traffic flows, enhances air quality and saves people time. This technology should be introduced as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to get everyone involved working together at the earliest opportunity,”comments Mr. Samuelsson. He also welcomes moves by regulators and car makers in the US and Europe to develop AD cars and infrastructure, but also encourages all parties involved to work more constructively together to avoid patchwork regulations, technological duplication and needless expense. “AD is not just about car technology. We need the right roads, the right rules and the right laws. We also need to ensure AD technologies are harmonised as much as possible to avoid unnecessary development costs, so that an AD car in the US is as safe and as legal as an AD car in Europe or Asia,” says Mr. Samuelsson. He goes on explaining that Sweden has had – and enjoyed – a long tradition of functioning relationships between the public and private sectors, something that has enhanced productivity, avoided industrial disputes and led to a rapid and effective introduction of rules, regulations and infrastructure to support new technologies. And this is the system that has become known as the Nordic Model. “It is natural for us to work together,” Mr Samuelsson will say. “Our starting point is that both the public and private sectors stand to benefit from new technologies and industries, so it is better to build bridges and work together than to all go in different directions.” Volvo Cars is working with public and private sector partners on the world’s largest and most advanced public AD technology project entitled ‘Drive Me’, which involves 100 real Swedish families in Gothenburg using AD cars on real roads.